13.08.2024 – 10:15
R+V Infocentre
Wiesbaden (ots)
Backpacks, laptops and other bulky items can be easily transported in the back of a bicycle basket. But if you don’t secure your things there, you’re making it easy for thieves, warns the R+V Insurance information center.
Theft from bicycle baskets is not only a daily occurrence in cycling cities like Münster. The criminals travel on foot, on scooters or bicycles and are on the lookout for loot. “Opportunities arise quickly, for example when cyclists wait at a red light,” says Nicole Günter, an expert for property damage at R+V Versicherung. “Sometimes the bag is simply pulled out of the bicycle basket as you ride past.” Often the victims do not even notice the theft straight away – and the property is lost forever.
Other situations also provide criminals with opportunities to commit crimes, such as when a bicycle is being pushed through the city center. “Attention is elsewhere, and the things in the bicycle basket are forgotten. The headphones that many people wear provide additional distraction,” says R+V expert Günter.
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If you don’t want to do without a bicycle basket, you can secure it with tension straps, a net or a cover. Some bicycle baskets even have a lockable lid or can be mounted on the front of the handlebars. However, it is a bad idea to tie the strap of a bag or backpack around the saddle as a safety device. “Cyclists can fall if someone pulls the bag out of the basket,” warns Nicole Günter. In addition, backpacks or bags should not hang on the handlebars. This affects your balance while riding.
Further tips from the R+V Info Center:
- Cards, keys, wallet or cell phone should be carried close to the body – for example in a jacket pocket or a lockable shoulder bag.
- Bicycle baskets have a maximum permissible load weight. This depends on the material and whether the basket is attached to the front or back of the bike.
- The cover of a bicycle basket also prevents items from falling out, for example on bumpy roads or curbs.
- An alternative to baskets are bicycle bags that are attached to the luggage rack, frame or handlebars.
Press contact:
R+V Infocentre
06172/9022-131
ruv-infocenter@arts-others.de
www.infocenter.ruv.de
Threads: @ruv_de
Original content from: R+V Infocenter, transmitted by news aktuell
